Every NBA team has a “Stay-Ready Group.”
These are guys who aren’t in the regular rotation but need to be ready when their number is called, hence the “Stay-Ready” part.
It’s one of the most challenging jobs in the league. They follow the same rigorous practice schedule as the regular rotation and often put in extra work on off days or before/after practices with the coaches and player development staff.
To outsiders, their work behind the scenes is often overlooked and underappreciated. But inside those practice walls, it’s recognized and valued.
“There are a bunch of Stay-Ready groups that are going on behind the scenes where guys who don’t play as many minutes are just always getting reps, staying ready, going over reads,” Jaylen Brown said. “Just always, constantly, staying involved in how the game and how the season is going, to be ready whenever their name is to be called. It’s tough to do as a professional.”
The efforts of the Stay-Ready Group don’t go unnoticed by head coach Joe Mazzulla, and in recognition of their hard work, Mazzulla looks for opportunities to reward those players. On Sunday night in Cleveland, he did just that by turning to two-way wing Drew Peterson, who nearly matched his career total minutes (30), logging just under 25 minutes total for the game, finishing with eight points on 2-of-6 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from deep, four rebounds, and a steal.
“You try to find moments throughout the season where you can validate the work that the guys put in, regardless of who it is,” Mazzulla said after the game. “Jordan, Drew, Jaden, JD, and those guys. So, I just felt like he’s had really good reps lately, and I thought he put us in a position to help us win.”
When the Celtics returned to TD Garden to face the Miami Heat on Monday night, another opportunity arose for Mazzulla to get his Stay-Ready guys some burn. This time, though, he didn’t have much of a choice, as the Celtics were without four of their top eight players—Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Sam Hauser.
“That happens over the course of the season, and guys got to be ready,” Mazzulla said on the Celtics being shorthanded. “Our staff in Maine and in Boston does a great job keeping the locker room ready, and everybody that played over the last two games, I thought, played a part in the process of winning, and that’s what you look for over the course of the season.”
The absences cleared the way for more minutes for Drew Peterson (26), a spot start for Jordan Walsh, and some rare rotation time for first-round pick Baylor Scheierman.
It also provided an opportunity for Luke Kornet—once a member of the Stay-Ready Group—to log 27 minutes, his second-highest total this season, while tying a career-high with six blocks. Additionally, Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman Sr. saw increased playing time as part of the rotation.
While the contributions varied, the Stay-Ready Group lived up to its name, helping the Celtics cruise to a 108-89 blowout win over the Heat. To be fair, Miami was missing key players themselves, including Jimmy Butler, but it was still an impressive showing from the Celtics’ depth – as no player who played real minutes finished with a negative plus-minus in the box score.
Payton Pritchard’s 25 points on 10-of-17 (58.8%) shooting, as well as Jaylen Brown’s 29 points, and Derrick White’s 19 can’t be ignored, but the Stay-Ready Group lived up to its namesake and helped the Celtics win the game on Monday.
“It was great. It’s a journey, man. We need each and every guy. We need the whole chain to be working together,” Brown said on their contributions after the game. “Shout out to those guys for being ready. And shout out to Joe for giving them those opportunities throughout the year to showcase and add to winning. It takes a complete group. And I thought those guys stepped in.”
Fittingly, the Stay-Ready Group played a key but often overlooked role in Boston’s success last season. The Celtics were 13-2 when missing two or more of their top six players and 12-2 on the second night of back-to-backs. On Monday night, they continued that trend.
“We’re a team. We rely on each other in different capacities each and every night,” added Brown. “Where one of us lacks, we pick each other up. We got a bunch of guys who are able to do a lot of different things. So being able to just get the best out of your group is what’s most important.”
Monday night also spoke to the development system the Celtics have in place. Five of the 10 Celtics who played at least 10 minutes have spent, or are currently, spending time with the G-League affiliate in Maine. An important note for a team that has seen its fair share of developmental success stories – see Kornet and Hauser.
“Because of their work and the player development team, I trust that the environment is the same [in Maine] and that they’re working on the same things that we are,” Mazzulla said. “Carryover and continuity gives people an opportunity to step right in.”
In the short term, as they did last year, the Celtics will need their Stay-Ready Group to step up and help win games. In the long term, Boston hopes these developments lead to even greater success, especially given the team’s salary cap restrictions. Developing young talent is becoming more crucial than ever.
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